.t - BALLI NG6 (FnoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) A good 'many of the.- frmers are icutting hay already, but?I am afraid on the green side, and will shrivel badly. Mr. A.' Ford, of.: this district, has purchased an excellent- threshing, plant, and intends working it in the local district. Patronise the local man. Mr. H. Bissell was married on Wednesday last: Good luck to him. Two more bachelors to go off. .Our local troops are still sticking to their:'drill, and are now practi cally. ready for the front. - ,A dance in connection with Red Cross Fund will be held in' Mr. Bur gess' barn on Friday night. A dance in aid of the Balliang East Tennis Club was held in Mr. Johnson's barn on Friday, and proved a splendid success. Excel lent music was' supplied by Mrs. Percy Davis and Mr. Geo.' V Davis, and everybody -danced themselves tired. , The new tennis court oftlie Club was officially opened last Saturday, and no doubt with their energetic Comi~iittee and live Sec. (Mr. G. V. Davis) the club ...

STAUGHTON VALE, BALLIANG ANAKIE RAILWAY. The Parliamentary Standing Commit tee on Railways, to which the Legisla tive Assembly referred the question of connecting the Staughton Vale Closer' Settlement Area, and the districts of Balliang and Anakie, by means of a 5ft. 3in. gauge railway .with the exist ing railway system, report as follows: Description of District. 1L Staughton Vale Closer Settlement Area. and the districts of SBalliang and .Anakie are situated at the foot. of the Brisbane Range in the eastern portion. of thbetriangle formed by the Ifelbourne to Geelong, Geelong to Ballarat, and Ballarqt-Bacchus Marsh-Melbourne rail ways. The districts referred to are to. the west of the Werribee Rier and You Yangs, and are drained by the Little River, which rises in the' Brisbane Range and flows south-east into Port Phillip Bay; .The greater part of the area for which nearer railway facilities. were sought is open, undulating coun try, and is of basaltic formation. Three hills, howe...

'COIMADAI. (FRonr oUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Farmers: .are busy overhauling their harvesting machinery, and in about three weeks operations will be' in full swing. Thle crops on the whole are fair to good, but the lack of late rains has materially retarded ,their growth. A specially fine crop is to be seen on the farm of Messrs. Condon Bros. A meeting was held in the school on Wednesday-evening, for the pur pose of. making arrangements to hold a concert in aid of the. Bac chus Marsh Red Cross'. The excel lent work done by this Society is deserving of all the assistance pos sible from the surrounding district. It was decided to hold a concert on the 24th inst., and all present formed themselves into a. committee to carry out the . arrangements. The drawing for the rug, presented by Mr. W. Allan, will take place at the con cert. Mrs. Joseph Bennett, who has been seriously ..l, is now convalescent, and is able to get about. In con sequence of her health, Mrs. Ben nett, who has had charge ...

- BY E. PI-ILLIPS OPPENHEIM, Published by arrangement with Messrsa. Ward, Lock &amp; Co. Ltd. [AUlRights Reserved.] CHAPTER X. VI II.--Continued, It 'is in the autumn -.he,. their lot seems hardest and the battle' of life most severe, and it is mid'autumn now. A gusty wind comes roaring over the North Sea, furrowing it with angry waves, and dashing them in up on that strip of storm-bound coast with'all the. fury of an army of demons cast loose'upon the waters; As the hours of night, drew: n, the' thick pall of darkness which.had been weighing iroli -earith -- and' sea' was " pierced by the sudden appearance of the full moon from behind a bank of scurrying -black 'clouds. At' the door of the cottage which ' supplied the place. of an inn to the hamlet stood Jim Doore,. landlord of the same, tempted outside for a =moment by the appearance of the moon. Holding his pipe behind his back lest-:-the wind should blow it into ashes and rob him of .his last few minutes' stolid enjoy. ment ...

Latest WAR News! Stick to Your Guns, . "MOSSY, Continue to Fire Out The Best Material, -. SLatest Style, ?tnd y4" a Good Workmanship Which has taken you to The Front every time. Ern. MOSS, The People's Tailor, cts Mrsh TAYLOR'S CASH STORE • Our CASH SYSTEM of trading enables us to offer SUPREME VALUE in all the various lines we carry-.: All our Goods are BOUGHT FOR CASH, with the full discounts, and sold to you with a Minimum of profit. CASH BUYERS can command Lowest Prices. They will get them here., Our reputation stands .behind all our transactions; and we guarantee satisfaction. We. do all classes of Jewellery and Watch -REPAIRS. Qustomers can depend on getting satisfaction. , ELECTRO PLATE WARE. 'ZONOPHONES. CROCKERY. SCENTS and SOAPS, DOLLS :and TOYS. SCHOOL REQUISITES. STATIONERY.- . ; UNDERCLOTHING. PICTURES and FRAMES. CHILDREN'S CLOTHING; JEWELLERY and REPAIRS. HOSIERY and' RIBBONS. TATLOeW a&amp;j STORE. Church.and Main streets, Bacchus Marsh. THE FORD SPECIALISTS: Wis...

MELTN SHIRE COUNCIL. Friday, Oct. 29. ORDINARY meeting. Present-Cra. Robinson (President), Minns, Horn buckle, Greene, McPherson, Howell, Biowne, and Leake. The State Forests Department re igetted that the' Council had taken no action about preventing destruc tion of. trees on the Toolern Vale to.-Bacchus Marsh road.-Cr. Mac Pherson said the case referred tdo' was different, as it was Crown1 lands.-The Secretary said some of it was on the roads.-Resolved, on motion of Cr. *Greene, that attention of the :Department be directed to .the previous case. The Railway Department wrote that the extension of the loading platform at Melton, as requested, would -only" accommodate * about three additional trucks, and involve removal of the crane; and the sug gested unloading ramp would mean extension of goods platform by 100 feet. The existing platform had met all requirements. Therefore they would not le justified in providing the additions asked for, but, would be glad to review the matter at ...

I TOOLERN VALE. S(FROM OUR OWN CORIRESONDIr.) The first ordinary, meeting of the Toolern Vale' branch of the Red SCross was held on Saturday, when a fine attendance of members showed the spirit ii :which the work is being taken up. Several new members were elected, and, joined -in the work heartily. The material ordered by the. Hon. Sed. was to hand, and a: good start was made. An intima tion was received from .headquarters to the" effect that shirts were 'the great necessity, and the meeting unanimously decided to direct their efforts towards this end: Upwaird. of £3 .was handed in by the mem beirs, and this, with monthly sub scriptions, afternoon, tea sixpences and other donations, should keep the supply of material ample- for some time. The following is the Progress Treasurer's balance sheet of the late Red Cross bazaar. It is prepared from the -balance sheet of the ladies' committee, audited by Messrs. J: McPherson and H. Campbell, and is according to a motion of Messrs. J. Gilb...

We are making our SPRING SHOWO OF Millinery, Dresses, Costumes, Blouses, Dress Goods, Neckwear, &amp;c. And cordially INVITE YOUR INSPECTION of what we .have to offer, you. Our Selection is a very fine one,: and the 'Goods are RIGHT UP-TO-DATE for Fashion and Style DRESSMAKING BY MISS HOBBS. : HALU Oa OOMpas, A.eGODUS MASn. SPRING MILkINERY -Morton's Show Day Smartest Styles for the Season now on View. We have engaged the services of MISS SKELLETT, who comes to us from Horsham with the highest5 city and country credentials. and is specially skilful in the best class 'Millinery. We are offering NEW CREATIONS, that emboldy: all that is most clever in Millinery Art. Art and Fashion have succeeded in.producing the most EFFECTIVE MILLINERY you could imagine for this Season's wear. The Most Up-to-date Designs. 'The Most Effective Styles and Shapes.:: Also a Beautiful Selection of DRR ESS GOODS. W.Grant MORTON Leader of Fashion. PEARCE Bros., Bacchus Marsh ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF?THEIR...

SOLDIERS' LETTERS. Lieut.-Colonel R. A. Crouch, well known at Bacchus Marsh, and one time member for .Corio in the Fed eral Parliament, writes to us direct -from the Front: Sunday, 19.9.15. In Firing line at Paper very short here, and where jiere is I am unable to say. But I thought I would like to write you from.tlhe Firing line, as an old friend who has so often been, a friend. .Conditions here very hard, but not 'verwhelhning. Water very scarce. I have only a cupful to shave, clean teeth, and -after'wards sponge my body! The sea is near, but is con stantly shelled, "and I have only had :one bathe. Lice and fleas the great knuoyance. Food good, but coarse. Bully beef, hard biscuits, tea, sugar, milk, jam. Bread once a week, meat ditto. Cigarettes Sunday; rum issued once a week, which is no good .to me, but I am storing it -against illness. Limejuice issued Sundays. The work I cannot de 'scribe. Have had a close call or two, but beyond showers of mud, "and being deluged with' a gey...

BACCHUS .MARSH BOWLING CLUB. A meeting of ladies will be held' in the Mechanics' Institute on ?Mon day next, at 8 p.m:, to make -final arrangements for providing refresh ments at the-opening of the green. on Saturday afternoon next. Opening of ?reeS next Saturday afternoon, 13th inst., at 2.30. Ladies will provide .afternoon tea. ;Hurry 'sku?ry competition will, be played. All bowls to bear. test mark -of 1912 or lated Entries w'ill be received on open ing day for a 'Singles tournamenlt, starting. about 20th inst. '

BACCHUS MARSH GUN CLUB. Saturday last was "Ladies' Day," and proved to. be the most success ful yet held by the club. An en joyable afternoon was' spent by shooters and visitors. Great interest was taken in .the competition for the tiophies, in which 30 shooters '(ainong whom were the well-known Grant Bros., from Meredith) took part. After a spirited contest, the first prize, a gold wristlet watch, was won by Tomn Booth, of Rowsley, with 12 consecutive kills; second prize, gold pendant, won by ''Olive," third prize, bangle, won by J. Scott; and the 4th prize, bangle, by 'Par iah." Mr. C. Wills, President of the Club, in a most appropiiate speech, presented the trophies to the win ners, who suitably responded. Afternoon tea was provided by the club on the grounds, and greatly appreciated by the shooters, and their friends. Owing to the larg'e entiy received for the trophies, time only allowed for, one sweepsta'ke to be shot for, whichi was divided by "Pariah' and P. Hehir.

(FBO - U R p - OWN CORRISPONDENTL)' For the last week or two a re port has been freely circulated that the annual race meeting here on New Year's day would .have to be abandoned, owing to the fact that. the new proprietor of that particu lar parlt of the Ingliston estate (Cr. D. Robertson) had refused permnis sion to use the course. On question ing the Hon. Sec. of the old Com mittee, it -was ascertained that. thiN was correct. . Mr. Robertson was therefore .subsequently .approachbd ýy a well-known local resident with the view of getting hiim to alter his decision, and without a mnurmur the request to use the cQurse was rvil lingly granted, provided the old Committee had no hand in running the meeting. Armed with this per mission, a largely attended' meeting was held on .Wednesday evening last to make the necessary arrange ments. Thee meeting included sev eral well-known sporting residents from: Bacchus Marsh, who came along, for the., express purpose of helping the new Committee ca...

METROPOLITAN FARM. Operations at the Metropolitan Farm, W~erribee, .during the quarter ended 30th September, 1915:-- No sheep were purchased. 5,851 slieep sold. The number of.. sheep on the Farm on 30th September, 1915, was 49. The number of cattle purchased was 3,467, at prices ranging from £2 to £11/6/ per head; including 1,126 head, purchased in New South Wales, en route to the Farm. 856 head of cattle were sold. The num :ber o'f Board's cattle on the Farm on 30th: September was 4,290. There were 213 cows and calves, and 870 horses and foals, on agist ment. Board's. horses on the Farm: Working draught horses, 77; work ing light horses, 23; lirood mares, 19; young stock, 24; total, 143. 1,467 bags (4,354 bushels) of maize were sold- at an average of 4/6.5 per bushel. 83 tons 15 cwt. of lucerne hay, chaff, &amp;c., were sold. . During the quarter 285a--cres of new land have been sown, and 500 acres old land re-sown with various grasses. 60 acres of irrigable land have been sown...